Happy birthday to Sushmita Sen.

Happy birthday to Sushmita Sen. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Sushmita Sen on 19th November, 2017. After creating a mark in the fashion world she made notable contribution in films as well. She won the Miss World Crown in the early 90s and at that time remained one of India’s best beauties along with Aishwarya Rai. She had impressed the viewers with the film Mai Hoon Na opposite Shahrukh Khan. Shahrukh Khan came to find his own brother in an educational institution after a long time. Shahrukh Khan fell in love with Sushmita Sen in the film. The online chemistry appealed to the masses. Both of them gave able lips in the song “mai hoon na”. Zaid Khan, Amrita Rao and Sunil Shetty also did very well in the film. She faced the glamour of Katrina Kaif in the film Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya, opposite Salman Khan and yet impressed the viewers with her unique performance. She was a nurse in the medical clinic of Salman Khan and she was asked to play the role of his first wife to satisfy Katrina Kaif. Salman Khan went on saying lies one after the other and Sushmita Sen had to help him for the wrongful cause. A time came when Sushmita could not bear any more. At the end of the film Salman Khan married her as she really loved him. Sushmita Sen gave brilliant lips in the song “laga laga laga re”. She even did well in roles of second heroines like the one she played in Salman Khan’s film Bibi No. 1. Salman Khan was married to Karishma Kapoor and he lived with Sushmita after having an affair with her when he went for a foreign visit. When the question came as to upbringing of Salman Khan’s children Sushmita Sen failed miserably. Anil Kapoor and Tabu helped Karishma Kapoor to create ill-feelings of Salman Khan against Sushmita Sen and ultimately the family peace was restored in favour of Karishma Kapoor. The songs picturised on Sushmita Sen and Salman Khan became super hit like “ishq sona hai”, “chunari chunari”, etc. Sushmita Sen also acted in challenging roles in films like Chingari, which were made for response from critics and Sushmita had shown her acting skills in these types of films. Her other successful films include Aaghaaz, opposite Sunil Shetty, where she played the role of police officer, Zor, opposite Sunny Deol, etc. Both Sushmita Sen and Aishwarya Rai joined bollywood films more or less at the same time and there was an express competition between both of them as both had come from the fashion world. Although Sushmita Sen showed her potentiality in many films and the films had done well in box-office, she was not as lucky as Aishwarya Rai in bagging the big banners of Subhash Ghai, Sanjay Leela Banshali, Ram Gopal Verma, etc. Sushmita has also appeared as judges in many dance competitions hosted in different TV Channels in recent years along with other celebrities like Wasim Akram and others. The viewers still believe that Sushmita Sen has a lot of acting left in her and she can do even better in bollywood films in future including her film relating to Benazir Bhutto. She had done a great job in Anil Kapoor’s film No Problem was released in 2010. Aneez Bazmi had directed the film. There are other stars in the film including Sanjay Dutt and Akshay Khanna in the film. The film did not do great business. The viewers wish the best for Sushmita Sen for the films that are going to be released in future.

Happy birthday to Kamal Hassan.

Happy birthday to Kamal Hassan. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to versatile actor Kamal Hassan on 7th November, 2017. He had been a versatile figure both in bollywood films and South Indian cinema. In 2013 he was busy with the film Viswaroopam II. In the early 80s, his film Ek Duje Ke Liye stormed bollywood. It was a teenage love story where Kamal Hassan and Rati Agnihotri reached their performance to huge number of Indians. Kamal Hassan also showed his exceptional dancing skills in songs like “hum bane tum bane ek duje ke liye”. The music was composed by LP and the music astonished the viewers. He followed it up with his brilliant performance in the film Saagar. In Saagar, Ramesh Sippy experimented with a triangular love story with Kamal Hassan, Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia. The songs of the film composed by RD Burman became super hit. Some of them included “o maria”, “chehera ho”, “saagar kinare”, “jane do na”, etc. Kamal Hassan brought tears in the eyes of his audience through his sacrificing performance as died at the end of the film to save Rishi Kapoor. Besides he also exhibited his acrobatic skills in the film. The film did brilliant business due to power pact performance of Kamal Hassan, Dimple Kapadia and Rishi Kapoor. From that time onwards he acted in different types of films, both having commercial significance and also art value. He acted in the film Geraftaar opposite Big B and Rajnikant. The viewers remember his comedy film Chachi 420. He received a number of national awards for best actor in the last 30 years. He had remained an all-time superstar in South Indian film industry. Kamal Hassan used all the legendary actors of bollywood in the film Chachi 420 as a director and emerged victorious. Om Puri, Paresh Rawal, Amrish Puri, Tabu were balanced by the brilliant performance of Kamal Hassan himself who played the role of lady Chachi. He took a brilliant make up and created a hilarious script and Om Puri, Amrish Puri, did their best to make the film super hit. He had proved his worth in every department of film making, whether acting or direction. In 2009 also Kamal Hassan came up with ten roles in the film Dasaavatharam. He had acted opposite Asin, Mallika Sherawat and others. He played ten different characters and all the roles were played with different dimensions. Besides he had played many daunting characters in Tamil films and bollywood films like the one in the film Hindustani. Kamal Hassan, received Padmashree, but that had not been a right recognition of his success. His film Viswaroopam also created sensation. The viewers expect him to show the dynamism in future too as they still know that Kamal Hassan still has a lot of acting left in him.

Happy birthday to Tabu.

Happy birthday to Tabu on 4th November. All the viewers of bollywood films had wished happy birthday to Tabu on the 4th of November, 2017. Although these days Tabu is not in the news to the extent she used to be few years back, she still enjoys popularity from bollywood audience. In 2015 her performance in Ajay Devgan’s film Drishyam was awesome. In 2014 her performance in the role of elder sister of Salman Khan in the film Jai Ho was well appreciated by the audience. When she entered films, within very short period of time she was recognized by the directors of parallel films and realistic films and experimented with her in dynamic roles. Gulzar gave her a challenging role in the film Machis. It was related to the story on terrorism existing in Punjab in the 90s. Tabu represented a member of a family who was affected by such terrorism. Her performance stand out among other notable performances of Om Puri and Chandrachud Singh in the same film. She played a challenging role in the film Tarqeeb. The film was related to suspense of her death. She was killed and Nana Patekar did an impressive investigation to unearth the truth as to her killing. The first part of the film showed Tabu’s struggle in maintaining her family and her fight against poverty. The early part her relevance in respect of finding the motive of killing her in the film. She played the role of a strict police officer in the film Kohram with Nana Patekar. Nana Patekar took the disguise of a journalist to unearth the identity of Big B in the film who was alleged to have been involved with criminal activities. At the end of the film both Big B and Nana Patekar co-operated with each other in their fight against Danny and his men who were really involved with anti-national activities. Tabu was very impressive in her respective role in the film Hu Tu Tu. She also changed her image by performing in serio-comic performance in the film Bibi No.1, where she played the role of the wife of Anil Kapoor who helped Karishma Kapoor to bring peace in her family after her husband Salman Khan got involved in extra-marital affair with Sushmita Sen. Tabu had acted in off-beat films like Chandni Bar and received critics acclamation for her performance in those types of films. She also acted in Mira Nair’s Hollywood film Namesake. Last year she played a notable role in the film Cheeni Kum with Big B where she depicted the character of a middle-aged lady who entered into an affair with an old man. She is probably one of the Hyderabadi actresses, who had done well both in bollywood films as well as South Indian films. Even more than that her performance in the comedy film Hera Pheri, where she acted opposite Sunil Shetty had no similarity with the role of village girl in Virasat where she acted opposite Anil Kapoor. She had showed her range of acting over the last 15 years and other than Dimple Kapadia there are no actresses of contemporary period who has equal potential as that of Tabu. Although she had acted in Telegu films in 2008 like Pandurangadu, she had not played any important role in any bollywood film in 2009. In 2010, she acted in the film Toh Baat Pakki, but that film did mediocre business. In 2012 Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai opposite Salman Khan and Govinda was supposed to be released. But it is supposed to be released in 2014. The other film Life of Pi was released and she got critical acclamation. In 2014, she was seen in Salman Khan’s film Jai Ho, which was previously name as Mental. Jai Ho did business of 115 crores. Her admirers expect her to make a strong comeback in bollywood films and contribute in both commercial and off-beat films.

Remembering Shankar Singh Raghuvanshi on his birth anniversary.

Immortal combination of Shankar Jaikishan with Mohammad Rafi. Great composer Shankar Singh Raghubvanshi is remembered on his birth anniversary on 15th October, 2016. He was also remembered on death anniversary on 26th April, 2016. He was one of the genius composers of the famous duo Shankar Jaikishan. In the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s a number of composers dominated Bollywood films. Naushad Ali, Roshanlal Nagrath, Madanmohan Kohli, OP Nayyar, all had the class of their own. Shankar Jaikishan composed music in almost 195 films in that golden age. One of the great reasons of Shankar Jaikishan’s huge success was due to the great combination with immortal singer Mohammad Rafi Sahab. If Rafi’s stylish andaz relating to westernized compositions are adequately it is Shankar Jaikishan who had used it to perfection. They had used Rafi for singing romantic songs with Japanese orchestration in Love in Tokyo, released in 1966 including songs like “aja re aa zara aa”, “Japan, Love in Tokyo”, “ o mere shahekhuba”, etc. In Biswajeet’s April Fool, released in 1964 SJ’s composition for Rafi including “aa gale lag ja” had westernized background. At the same time Rafi’s song “tumhe chaha” with Suman Kalyanpur was a great rendition in pensive mood. SJ’s composition for Rafi in Shammi Kapoor’s An Evening in Paris, in 1967, like “akele akele kahan ja rahe ho”, “raat ke humsafar”, had loud French music with echo effect and Rafi’s intonation was also westernized. Shankar Jaikishan gave a completely different style of music to Rafi in Rajender Kumar’s Aarzoo, released in 1965 with songs like “aji ruth kar ab”, “chalke teri aankho se”, “ai nargisi mastana”, etc. SJ had given songs addressing children to Rafi including “nanne munne bache teri mutthi me kya hai” in Boot Polish which was produced by Raj Kapoor and released in 1954, “hai na bolo bolo”, “re mamma re mamma re” in Shammi Kapoor’s Andaz, released in 1971 and “chakke p chakka” in Brahmchari, in 1969. Rafi pronounced the words with childish accent and SJ used the orchestration to attract children. There were ghazals also given by SJ for Rafi including “rukh se zara nakab”, “kya kya na kahe” in Jeetender’s Mere Huzoor, “unke khayal aye to” in Raj Kumar’s Lal Patthar, “saaze dil ched de” in Pradeep Kumar’s Rajhaath, etc. Besides SJ’s creation involving Rafi in somber mood had created great impact including songs like “teri zulfon ki judai to nahi maangi thi” in Dev Anand’s Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai, “ehsaan tera hoga mujhpar” in Shammi Kapoor’s Junglee, “yaad na aye” in Rajender Kumar’s Dil Ek Mandir. Shankar Jaikishan had used Rafi’s classical andaz in the songs “radheke tune bansoori churai”, “ajahu na aye”, etc., and combined the ragas with devotional andaz. SJ has given music in almost 200 films within the span from 1949 to 1971, and at least each year they composed music for approximately 10 films. As Rafi was given predominance over other male singers SJ had use him in regular intervals even without doing injustice to Mukesh, Manna Dey, Kishore Kumar, Talat Mehmood and others. Songs like “kaun hai jo sapno me aya” from Jhuk Gaya Aasman, “to bura maan gaye” from Ayee Milan Ki Bela, “yeh ankhen” from Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai, “tujhe jeevan ki dor se” from Aasli Nakli, “dheere dheere chal” from Love Marriage, “badan pe sitaren lapete hue” from Prince, “mai kahin kavi na banjayun” from Pyar Hi Pyar, “mai gayun tum so jao” from Brahmchari, had not lost their flavour even 40 years after their creation due to sheer brilliance of Shankar Jaikishan. It is really tragic neither Shankar Jaikishan had received the accolades that they deserved nor Rafi’s association with them had been glorified but history says that the combination of Rafi with Shankar Jaikishan had produced invaluable creations which had become immortal over the period of time.

Happy birthday to superstar Shahrukh Khan.

Happy birthday to superstar Shahrukh Khan. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to superstar Shahrukh Khan on 2nd November, 2017. He was the ruler of bollywood industry in the 90s. Right from Baazigar, Shahrukh Khan gave blockbusters one after the other. After Amitabh Bacchan, he is the next superstar, whose screen presence had carried through many big budget films. 2011 had been a great year for Shahrukh Khan. He had produced the costliest film in Indian history Ra One. The film in the first week had already done business of more than 50 crores. Although the film had not broken the record of Salman Khan’s film Bodyguard this year which had done business of 150 crores, the film had created a new trend, and Shahrukh Khan’s excellent acting, stunts and enthusiasm had been praised a lot by the viewers. In 2012, Shahrukh Khan’s romantic film Jab Tak Hai Jaan was released on Diwali, on 13th November. It was the last film of Yash Chopra. He died recently. This was the first time Shahrukh Khan had acted opposite Katrina Kaif. AR Rehman composed the music of the film. The film did business of 115 crores. 2013 had been even more successful year for Shahrukh Khan. His film Chennai Express released in August, 2013, did business of more than 210 crores. The film broke the record of Amir Khan’s The Three Idiots and stands as the biggest blockbuster ever. 2014 had been a bigger year. Shahrukh Khan’s film Happy New Year did business of more than 150 crores in the 1st weeks. It has the potential of doing business of more than 200 crores. Shahrukh Khan had a grand combination with Director Karan Johar, and most of the films directed by him ended up being super hit. The notable films include Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, etc. Shahrukh Khan also gave able lips in hit songs of these films including “kuch kuch hota hai”, “suraj hua madhyam”, etc. In 2010, their grand combination gave another hit titled My Name is Khan. Shahrukh Khan played the lead role in the film and did a great job opposite Kajol. Shahrukh Khan also succeeded in negative roles. The greatest example includes Darr. There he played a negative character opposite Sunny Deol and Juhi Chawla. On one hand he gave good lips in the songs “tu mere samne”, on the other hand his attack on Juhi Chawla made the viewers understand that he could act in any type of films. He received filmfare award for the negative category as well. He was played a challenging role in Mani Ratnam’s film Dil Se. The film was related to terrorism in North East India and Shahrukh Khan died with Manisha Koirala in the film. Shahrukh Khan has the record of bagging 7 filmfare awards for best actor, which is the second best record after Dilip Kumar who had won it 8 times. Shahrukh Khan, better known as King Khan, had acted in the films of almost all the leading directors of the country, including Amol Palekar’s Paheli with Rani Mukherjee. Besides he had acted opposite different actresses like Kajol in the film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Preeti Zinta in the film Veer Zara, Anushka Sharma in the film Rab Ne Bana Di Jori, to name a few. Shahrukh Khan opened own production house titled Dreams Unlimited with Juhi Chawla, and the films produced by such combination like Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani also did good business. Shahrukh Khan had ruled the industry for more than 15 years. Shahrukh Khan is also known for high level of energy. He had sponsored the Kolkata Knight Riders IPl team which had been captained by Sourav Ganguly. Although the team had performed is a disastrous manner, Shahrukh Khan had always encouraged his players. Shahrukh Khan’s team under the captainship of Gautam Gambhir had also won the IPL Trophy this year. The viewers are waiting for his next film that is going to be released in 2015. He is breaking his own records. So there are more surprises in future.

Happy birthday to Sunny Deol.

Happy birthday to Sunny Deol. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to action star Sunny Deol on 19th October, 2017. He had been a sensation in bollywood films. Being the son of successful actor Dharmender, he had the pressure of proving his capability the early part of his career. Although he started with romantic films like Betaab in the early 80s, within short period of time he built a macho body and acted in action films one after the other. He became the lead actor in most of the films of Raj Kumar Santoshi. Most of those films were anti-establishment films where his anti-establishment- image amazed the viewers. After Amitabh Bacchan and Dharmender, probably Sunny Deol was the only star whose action image was accepted by audience of different tastes. He received the filmfare best actor award for his brilliant performance in the film Ghayal. He took revenge against smuggling don Balwant Rai played by Amrish Puri. He got awarded for his brilliant performance in the film Damini opposite Meenakshi Sheshadri. He played the role of an upright lawyer who helped a lady like Meenakshi who was threatened by her inlaws against giving testimony in a rape case. The film became the greatest hit of the year. Sunny had to very high standard of acting from his rival Amrish Puri in both these films who maintained the standard of acting he displayed in art films directed by Shyam Benegal, Govind Nihalini and others. Sunny’s film Gadar Ek Premkatha, based on hindu-muslim vengeance during partition broke the record of hit films in India. He went to Pakistan to bring his wife Amisha Patel and small son, and faced the resistance of orthodox muslims under the leadership of Amrish Puri. He fought his way out and brought his family to India. He displayed the passion of being a true Indian in style. His other hit films included Ghatak, Samandar, Darr, Joshilay, Tridev, Vishwaatma, to name a few. He was considered to be one of the best body-builders of the country in the 90s. He also produced few films and did well in them as well. Other than Sanjay Dutt, no other actor was as successful as Sunny Deol in action films. He is presently busy with his sequel film Ghayal returns. 2011 had been a successful year for him. His film Yaamla Pagla Dewaana did excellent business at the beginning of the year. For the first time, Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol and Dharmender were seen in the same film together. He was a great crowd puller in the 90s, viewers want the same magic back.

Happy birthday to Hema Malini.

Happy birthday to dream-girl Hema Malini. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to dream girl Hema Malini on 16th October, 2017. She was the uncrowned queen of bollywood films of the 70s. Her strong dancing skills gave her a separate place in bollywood films. Her performance in the film Sapno Ka Saudagar opposite Raj Kapoor was extremely successful in the late 60s. From there she never looked back. Her film Abhinetri opposite Shashi Kapoor became super hit. Her successful films opposite other stars included Gora Aur Kala opposite Rajender Kumar, Burning Train opposite Dharmender, Johnny Mera Naam opposite Dev Anand, to name a few. Gora Aur Kala became super hit with the successful songs composed by Laxmikant Pyarellal like “tu meri sapno ka rani banegi”, “dheere dheere bol”, etc. Within short time she formed a brilliant combination with Dharmender and their films started rocking bollywood in the 70s. The pair started off with films like Naya Zamana, Raja Jani and went on to give all time hits like Seeta Aur Geeta, Jugnu, Charas, Sholay, etc. If Sholay is remembered for superlative camerawork of Ramesh Sippy, villainish andaz of Amzad Khan, angry image of Big B, then it is also remembered for tremendous dance performance of Hema Malini. She danced on top of glasses in the song “jab tak hai jaan”. Besides she showed her bravery also in the film by riding on the horse-cart against the gang of dacoits of Gabbar Singh. Hema Malini did extremely well in off-beat films as well. One of her landmark films included Kinara opposite Jeetender and Dharmender. Gulzar’s films was based on dancing and Hema Malini’s classical dance balanced the story line where Jeetender’s car struck Dharmender and killed him on the spot. Dharmender was the husband of Hema Malini in the film and she lived with his memory in the film. Hema Malini’s films opposite Big B also did great business. Some of their hit films included Desh Premi, Satte Pe Satta, etc. In the last few years Hema Malini had been seen contributing in character roles in bollywood films like Baghban. She must be proud about the success of her daughter Esha Deol, but is respect of glamour and beauty and dancing skills still Hema Malini is remembered for her dominance during the 70s. In the recent years Hema Malini acted in many matured roles. She had acted very well in the film Aarakshan in 2011, opposite Amitabh Bacchan. She was the trustee of an organization catered to give higher education in India and reinstated Amitabh Bacchan as the Principal of that institution. Hema Malini also came in the Indian Idol 6 Show with Dharmender as guest judge in 2012. She shared her experiences of acting dancing and the history relating to playback singing involving her. The viewers still believe that a lot of dancing skills are still left in Hema Malini and she should still act in bollywood films in future.

Happy birth anniversary of Rebel star Shammi Kapoor.

Viewers remembered Shammi Kapoor on his birth anniversary on 21st October, 2017. Rebel Star Shammi Kapoor is remembered on 14th August, 2016, his death anniversary, for his immense contribution to Bollywood films. On 14th August, 2011, veteran actor Shammi Kapoor, passed away. He was 79 years old. The country had become sad due to his demise. He brought a new wave in Indian films with powerful performances in films like Tumsa Nahi Dekha, Dil Deke Dekho, Junglee, Janwar and other films. He used to be called Rebel Star and the Indian Elvis Priestley. One thing for which viewers used to be mad to see his films during 60s used to be the everlasting music in the films and brilliance of Mohammad Rafi in those songs. Rafi had sung 341 songs composed by Shankar Jaikishan during his illustrious career with 216 solos. Very significantly 3 of the filmfare awards that Rafi received during 60s had been composed by Shankar Jaikishan. They included “teri pyari pyari surat ko kiski nazar na lage” from the film Sasural, “baharon phool barsao” from the film Suraj and “dilke jharoke me mujhko bithaker” from the film Brahmchari. But in the list of songs sung by Rafi and composed by Shankar Jaikishan, at least half of the total sungs were composed for Shammi Kapoor. Shammi Kapoor and Shankar Jaikishan worked together for around 22 films, most of which did great business in the 60s. If Rafi’s songs sung for Shammi Kapoor are remembered for the loud music and melo-dramatic dance numbers, there were lot of songs which were ever romantic and touched the hearts of the viewers. In the film Junglee, Rafi’s songs “ehsaan tera hoga mujhpar” and “meri yaar shabba khair” had very melodious appeal and the sweetness of Rafi haunted the listeners for years. In Shammi Kapoor’s Professor, the songs “awaz deke hume tum bulayo”, “mai chali mai chali”, probably had set the mood of the film. From that time Rafi, Shammi Kapoor and Shankar Jaikishan created magic in one film after the other. In Raj Kumar, Rafi’s soft numbers for Shammi Kapoor like “yeh rang badalti duniya me”, “tumne kisiki jaan ko jate hue dekha hai” made the viewers speechless. Even the western numbers of Shankar Jaikishan for Rafi stole the hearts in the 60s. In the film Janwar, Rafi’s number “meri muhabbat jawan rahegi” and “humko hai tumse pyar” had been the most romantic songs in the film, where the landscape of Kashmir and Rafi’s melodious voice complimented each other. In the film An Evening in Paris, Rafi’s songs “akele akele kahan ja rahe ho” and “raat ke humsafar” were the most romantic numbers which were more melodious than the loud numbers which equally became hits. In Shammi Kapoor’s Brahmachari, probably the best songs included “mai gayun tum so jayo” and “dil ke jharoke mai”. “mai gayun tum so jayo” was sung twice by Rafi in the film, one with a even slower rhythm. Shankar Jaikishan’s background music was as brilliant as Rafi’s singing style for Shammi Kapoor. In the film Tumse Accha Kaun Hai, Rafi’s soft number “janam janam ka saath hai” had remained evergreen and melodious for years. In Latt Sahab, Rafi’s romantic number with Asha Bhosle titled “aye chaand zara ruk ja” haunted the listeners for years after years. Rafi and Shankar Jaikishan combined together in other films of Shammi Kapoor like Prince, Buttameez, Laat Sahab, Ujala, Chote Sarkar, Hong Kong, etc. There were many more romantic numbers of Rafi sung for Shammi Kapoor, which cannot be covered in a small article. In Shammi Kapoor’s Jawan Muhabbat, the song “jawan muhabbat jahan jahan hai” was very romantic. The last film where Shankar and Jaikishan worked together for Shammi Kapoor included Andaz. The songs “dil use do jo jaan de de” and “re mamma re mamma re” were brilliant both in form and orchestration. It was very unfortunate that Jaikishan died in 1971,and after that Shammi Kapoor also added weight and switched to character roles in films like Zameer, Parvarish, etc. The magical combination of Shankar Jaikishan, Shammi Kapoor and Rafi ended and the era of romantic songs also suffered a set back. Some section of listeners argue that Rajender Kumar probably received the more romantic numbers sung by Rafi and composed by Shankar Jaikishan, but Shammi Kapoor’s combination with Rafi and Shankar Jaikishan was phenomenal which swept the youth and took them to a different inspite of Shammi Kapoor being called a rebel star and Shankar Jaikishan providing the most loud bomblastic numbers for Rafi. The songs and the films of the legendary combination of Shammi Kapoor, Rafi and Shankar Jaikishan should be preserved.

Happy birthday to Mallika Sherawat.

Happy birthday to Mallika Sherawat. The viewers of Bollywood films wish happy birthday to Mallika Sherawat on 24th October, 2017.

Mallika Sherawat had transformed herself. When Mallika Sherawat initially joined bollywood films, she was considered as an actress who was only inclined to expose herself. Her films Murder and Khwawish were related to body exposure. Although Murder became superhit and Reema Lamba, better known as Mallika Sherawat became a hot star in 2004, she still required films which could allow her to show her acting talents. She also received international recognition with her performance in a small role in the film Myth, opposite Jackie Chan. From the film Pyar Ke Side Effects opposite Rahul Bose, viewers started recognizing her as a talented actress. She was sublime in the film Aap Ka Suroor, where she played a negative role. Also her dance number in the Abhishek Bacchan’s Guru titled “maiya maiya” brought her prominence. She did a great job in the film Maan Gaye Mugha-i-Azam. She was the wife of stage actor Paresh Rawal. She got attached with Rahul Bose, a member of the audience. Rahul Bose used the entire acting crew of Paresh Rawal to address terrorists. In his operation Mallika Sherawat played the major role. Mallika’s lips in the song “maan gaye mughal-i-azam” entertained the crowds. The song was made in the form of -a satire, and the play Mughal-i-Azam also created with the idea of addressing political questions of the relevant period. In Welcome, she pretended to be the wife of Akshay Kumar, on the request of Paresh Rawal. Paresh Rawal never wanted his relative Akshay Kumar to marry a girl from a criminal family. But he entered into an affair with Katrina Kaif, the sister of underworld dons Nana Patekar and Anil Kapoor. When Mallika Sherawat wept before Feroz Khan, the boss of both Anil Kapoor and Nana Patekar, the marriage was cancelled. Although the role was short, Mallika Sherawat did very well. She was sublime in the film Ugly Aur Paagli, opposite Ranbir Shorey. The film was related to betting, and Mallika had given slaps after slaps to Ranbir with one kiss only in a comedy drama. In 2009, Mallika Sherawat featured in Kamal Hassan’s action drama Dasavatharam along with Asin. The other film Dhakreys Bed had convinced the viewers that Mallika can act, and given a proper script, can do better than other actresses of the contemporary period. She had transformed herself into a promising actress. The viewers expect her to continue the good work and not sign cheap roles where only exposure is required, not acting.

Happy birthday to Rekha.

Happy birthday to dashing star Rekha. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to dashing star Rekha on 10th October, 2017. She had dominated bollywood films of the 80s. Being the daughter of Legendary South Indian actor Gemini Ganeshan on 10th October, 1954, Rekha created a separate place for herself in bollywood film industry. She was better known as Bhanurekha Ganeshan. In 1969 she acted opposite Biswajeet Chatterjee in the film Do Shikari. She got the her lead role as heroine opposite Navin Nischal in the film Sawan Bhado. In the early 70s, Rekha had to fight for her place in the bollywood industry, at a time when Hema Malini, Asha Parekh, Sharmila Tagore were dominating the industry. But she acted in many landmark films during that period including Gora Aur Kala opposite Rajender Kumar, Rampur Ka Laxman opposite Randhir Kapoor, etc. From the late 70s her films opposite megastar Big B changed her career. Most of the films ended up being super hit including Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Mr. Natwarlal, Suhaag, Silsila, etc. Rekha gradually developed her acting and became one of the most versatile actresses of the 80s. Rekha had acted opposite all the leading actors of the 80s namely Jeetender, Dharmender, Big B, Vinod Mehra, etc. She received national award for her memorable performance in the role of a mujrewali in the film Umrao Jaan. She received filmfare award for best actress in her dashing role in the film Khoon Bhari Maang in 1988. She acted in more than 180 films. Along with the commercial films like Silsila, Mr. Natwarlal, Suhaag, she had been remembered for the performances in off-beat films. She played landmark roles in off-beat films like Gulzar’s Ghar and Ijaazat, Shyam Benegal’s Kalyug, Govind Nihalini’s Vijeta, etc. Even her films in the 90s like Kamasutra and in 2000 onwards in films like Lajja and Koi Mil Gaya, she showed her metal as a very talented actress. She received lifetime achievement award for the immense contribution to bollywood films. The viewers expect her to continue the brilliant work in character roles in future.

Happy birthday to megastar Amitabh Bacchan.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to the megastar of bollywood films Amitabh Bacchan on 11th October, 2017. Born in 1942, he had been the most popular actor of the entire millennium. In the 70s his films like Zanjeer, Sholay, Deewar created a new age of action films. His angry young man image created a revolution during an age when corruption became rampant in India. If Zanjeer was related to the obstacles faced by an honest police officer to safely perform his duties, Deewar was based on the contradiction of two brothers of whom one was a police officer, while the other was compelled to be a smuggler due to social compulsions. Sholay was based on the story of domination of the Chambal region of India by dacoits. The Thakur (played by Sanjeev Kumar) of the village employed two brave criminals namely Big B and Dharmender to face the dacoits. Big B was a very powerful actor and became the choice of all the leading directors of the 70s and 80s. His films included Abhimaan directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Sholay directed by Ramesh Sippy, Zanjeer directed by Prakash Mehra, Deewar directed by Yash Chopra, Barsaat Ki Ek Raat directed by Shakti Samanta, Amar Akbar Anthony directed by Manmohan Desai, to name a few. The other factor which singled out Big B with the other actors in terms of his versatility was his baritone voice which he modulated to perfection. His comedy films like Namakhalal, Chupke Chupke, Amar Akbar Anthony, created new dimensions in Indian film history. His notable films during the 80s included Shakti, Akhree Rasta, Inquilab, etc. Even in the 90s his films like Akela and Indrajeet carried his strong personality forward. Big B had played a huge innings as a character actor and his films like Black, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, etc., showed the viewers, that after Dilip Kumar and Sanjeev Kumar, Big B was an actor with whom the directors could do any experiment. His performance in his son Abhishek Bacchan’s films like Bunty Aur Babli had also been notable. In 2010, he received the national award for the best actor for the third time for his excellent performance in the film Paa. In 2011, he was absolutely brilliant in the role of an academician in Prakash Jha’s film Aarakshan. In 2013, his performance in Prakash Jha’s film Satyagraha was brilliant. Day by day his acting skills are just getting better and better and he is experimenting in different types of roles. Even in Kaun Banega Crorepati he is the anchor and his profound educational background and pure hindi accent amazes the viewers. Sony TV cannot think about any other anchor other than Amitabh Bacchan. The viewers expect him to continue the great work that he started 40 years back.

Happy birthday to item queen Malaika Arora Khan.

Happy birthday to Item –queen Malaika Arora. The viewers of bollyood films wish happy birthday to Item-queen Malaika Arora on 23rd October, 2017. She had been an important figure in the bollywood industry for the last 10 years. Her father worked in Merchant Navy. She was selected as one of the MTV VJs when MTV started operation in India. She also did shine in the modeling world. After that she became number one item dancer in bollywood films. Her dance in the film Dil Se stormed bollywood. She danced in the song “chaiya chaiya” opposite Shahrukh Khan in the film. The cameos in bollywood films in the item numbers continued. She made a special appearance in Bobby Deol’s film Bicchu. She got a bigger role in the film Kaante. Her item number titled “kaal dhamaal” in the film Kaal again created attention. She also danced in item numbers in the film Om Shanti Om and Hey Babby in 2005. Then again in the film Welcome, her item number in the song “hoont rasiley” became the most popular song of the entire film. She danced opposite Anil Kapoor and Nana Patekar in the film. She married Arbaaz Khan and has a son named Arhaan. She acted in the film Housefull. In 2010, she stormed bollywood again in Arbaaz Khan’s film Dabaang, in the item song “munni badnaam hui”. The film was the most successful song of the year. The major credit goes to the high class of dancing of Malaika Arora Khan. As far as her dancing capabilities are concerned she had established herself in bollywood. But she requires to play notable roles in social films to prove her acting capability. Helen, who initially got roles of vamps, later on when acted in films like Khamoshi, had shown the viewers that she had lot of acting talent. Malaika Arora Khan was the co-producer of the super hit film Dabaang 2. She danced in one of the songs of the film as well. Due to Salman Khan magic the film did business of more than 158 crores. The co-production and direction of Arbaaz Khan had been well appreciated by the viewers. Viewers expect Malaika Arora to act in prominent roles in future and expect that upcoming year will be a successful year for year.

Happy birth anniverary to Om Puri.

Happy birth anniversary to actor of actors Om Puri. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birth anniversary to actor of actors Om Puri on 18th October, 2017. This year only he died and end a huge journey on realistic acting. Om Puri, along with Naseeruddin Shah used to be considered and is still considered the most versatile actor of all times. Born on 18th October, 1950, Om Puri learned acting from Film and Television Institute of India. He was an alumnus of 1973 batch of Delhi School of Drama along with Naseeruddin Shah. He was the automatic choice of the greatest directors of Indian films like Satyajit Ray who did cast him in Sadgati, Govind Nihalini who had cast him in Aakrosh, Ardha Satya, etc., Ketan Mehta who had cast him in Mirch Masala, Gulzar, who had cast him in Maachis, to name a few. But when question came in relation to awards, critics feel that Om Puri, did not receive the recognition he deserved. He received national awards for best actor for his performance in the films Arohan and Ardhya Satya. But there is no justification as to the fact why did not receive a national award for his lifetime performance in the film Aakrosh. He did not have a single dialogue, and in a mute role, he expressed his agony, which was at par with some of the best Hollywood actors of all times. His performance in Satyajit Ray’s film Sadgati requires special mention. He died at the end of the film while cutting wood for cremation purposes for Mohan Agase in the film. He made the classic literature of Munshi Premchand immortal with his performance. He was sublime in Mirch Masala. He was outstanding in Tamas. Although he won a number of international awards, that does not justify his immense acting skills. He won the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Award for his performance in the film Ardhya Satya in 1984. He won Brussels International Best Film Actor award in 1998 for his performance in the film My Son the fanatic. Even his performance in commercial films like Ghayal or Gupt or China Gate requires special mention. In the last 10 years he had featured in every alternate films including Gulzar’s Maachis, Priya Darshaan’s Malamaal Weekly, Raj Kumar Santoshi’s Pukar, Sohail Khan’s Dabaang. His performance in small roles in landmark films like Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi had amazed everyone. In the last few years his performance in Saif Ali Khan’s film Qurbaan, Ashay Kumar’s film Action Replay had been very impressive. Even in commercial films like Salman Khan’s Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge, Om Puri played the role of a wrestler very well. He balanced the performances of Paresh Rawal and Anupam Kher. In 2011, viewers are waiting to see his performance opposite Shahrukh Khan in the film Don 2 – the chase continues. The viewers and critics feel that Om Puri should continue his brilliant work irrespective of adequate justice being done through the awards, because his actual admirer are the immense number of viewers who had always considered him a genius of genius. In 2012, he played an important role in the film Kamaal Dhamaal Malamaal with Nana Patekar and others. The viewers expect him to continue the dream run in respect of powerful performances.

Guru Dutt and Rafisahab combination is still remembered today.

Melody in Guru Dutts films and combination with Mohammad Rafi. Today, 9th July is the birthday of noted Director Guru Dutt. He was born in 1925 on this day. Rafi became a living legend in the mid-50s after dominating bollywood films over ten years and singing for nearly all the giant productions and leading actors of bollywood. He had very strong combination with thinking actor Guru Dutt. Guru Dutt had created his image in bollywood films in different categories being a thoughtful director and producer, dynamic actor, good choreographer. One of the numerous reasons for which his films became super hit in the 50s and 60s include the brilliant songs sung by Rafi during the golden age. Rafi’s songs in Guru Dutt’s Aar Paar, composed by OP Nayyar became super hit. It was followed by Mr and Mrs. 55 released in 1955. Songs picturized on both Guru Dutt and Johnny Walker had melody and sweetness. Rafi’s songs like “dil pe kiya aisa jaadu”, “muhobbat karlo aji karlo”, “sun sun sun sun zaalima”, composed by OP Nayyar, created landmark in the mid-50s and Rafi emerged as the greatest singer of bollywood films during that time. The same combination of Guru Dutt, OP Nayyar and Rafi gave everlasting hit in the film 12 O Clock with songs like “mai kho gaya”. When Guru Dutt used SD Burman for composing songs in the film Pyaasa and Kaagaz Ka Phool, Rafi was used brilliantly for the legendary music of those films. Both the films won national and international awards and remain a landmark in the field of story-telling. Rafi’s songs “sar jot era chakrae” picturised on Johnny Walker and “hum aapke aankho me” and “yeh mahalon yeh takhton yeh taajon ki duniya” picturised on Guru Dutt had emotions, passions, comedy, tragedy everything embedded in them. Rafi’s duet combination with Geeta Dutt was bolstered in the film. The lyrics were outstanding as well. The films marked the best music given by SD Burman in his entire lifetime. Guru Dutt can boast himself to have given lips in one of Rafi’s best ghazals sung in the history of bollywood films titled “chaudavi ka chaand”. Guru Dutt picturised the song sequence with colour, showing his passionate relationship with Wahida Rehman in the film Chaudavi Ka Chand. Ravi’s music in the film showed the pardanashin culture of muslims in India during the early 60s. Rafi also sang songs for Guru Dutt in the film Saanjh Aur Sawera, composed by Shankar Jaikishan. The title song “yehi hai who saanjh aur sawera” sung by Rafi became very popular. Meena Kumari balanced the powerful performance of Guru Dutt in the film. The other films where Rafi had contributed for Guru Dutt include Bharosa where Ravi composed melodious tunes including “yeh jhuki jhuki naina” picturised on Guru Dutt and Asha Parekh. Guru Dutt’s music in the film Baharen Phir Bhi Aayegi composed by OP Nayyar, created sensation in the mid -60s. It was a tragedy, that Guru Dutt died before the release of the film and could not see the success of the film. The songs sung by Rafi and picturised on Dharmender mesmerized the audience and still haunts people all over the world. One of those brilliant songs include “aap ki haseen rukh me aaj naya nur hai, mera dil machal gaya to mera kya kasoor hai”. The uniqueness of Guru Dutt’s relationship with Rafi lies in the fact that whether the composer was OP Nayyar or Shankar Jaikishan or SD Burman or Ravi, the music composed for whom had philosophical thoughts embedded in them and Rafi gave expression to the mesmerizing lyrics of evergreen tunes which had become immortal over a period of time. The films and the songs should be preserved and restored.

Happy birthday to Raveena Tandon.

The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Raveena Tandon on 26th October, 2017 . She was a versatile actress of the 90s. Initially when she joined films her performance opposite Akshay Kumar and Govinda attracted the attention of many viewers. Her films Mohra opposite Akshay Kumar and Sunil Shetty, Aatish and Vijeta opposite Sanjay Dutt, Vinashak opposite Sunil Shetty got great box-office success. In Vijeta she played the role of an honest police officer who loved a lawyer Sanjay Dutt. Sanjay Dutt took law in his own hands to punish the killers of his senior lawyer played by Aloknath. Raveena realized that her superior police officer Amrish Puri was a criminal himself and sided with Paresh Rawal. The performance of Raveena in a daring role in Vijeta amazed the viewers. She also showed her comedy skills in the film Andaz Apna Apna opposite Ami Khan and Salman Khan. She was the mate of rich girl Karishma Kapoor. But instead she pretended to be the rich girl and Karishma Kapoor pretended to be the maid. The film directed by Raj Kumar Santoshi did brilliant business in the early 1990s. But later on in her career she got challenging roles. She got the national award for the best actress for her brilliant performance in the film Daman. It was related to ill-treatment of women. She was sublime in the film Shool opposite Manoj Vajpayee, where the corruption in politics was at issue. Shool showed the high level of corruption in Bihar to such extent that some of the politicians wanted to ban the film. She gave landmark performance in the film Jago opposite Sanjay Kapoor. Her daughter was raped by miscreants in local train in Mumbai and she prayed for justice in court of law. Manoj Vajpayee, the police officer in the film faced the resistance from different members of the society in proving the case. Her performance in the court scene amazed the viewers and she got critical acclamation for the performance in the film. Raveena Tandon was brilliant in the film Daava opposite Akshay Kumar. She acted in other hit films like Officer opposite Sunil Shetty, Ladlaa opposite Anil Kapoor, Zid opposite Sunny Deol, to name a few.She always had kept her mark in action films where Sunil Shetty or Akshay Kumar or Sanjay Dutt had the major role. It is a pity that when she was at the peak of her career that she left films after getting married and begetting children. In 2011 she had acted in the film Buddha Hoga Tera Baap. She had also acted in the film Aap Ke Liye Hum. The viewers want her to make a complete return to bollywood films in character roles as she still has a lot of acting left in her.

Happy birthday to Beauty Queen Aishwarya Rai.

Happy birthday to Beauty –Queen Aishwarya Rai. The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to bollywood beauty-queen Aishwarya Rai on 1st November, 2017. She had been the first woman in India whose wax Statue had been made in Madam Tussadd’s Museum in London , UK. After winning Miss World Crown she stormed Bollywood films with Jeans. Her film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam opposite Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan, released in late 1990s became super hit. Her screen presence in traditional Rajasthani dress flabbergasted the viewers. She gave elegant lips in the songs “nimura nimura” and “dhol baaje”. She gave the best performance of her life in the film Taal. Her softness in the film opposite Ashay Khanna and Anil Kapoor charmed the viewers. AR Rehman’s music in the film was sensational. All the songs in the film became super hit including “ishq bina kya jina”, “rabba jogi”, etc. Ash in that period was at the top of her career. She also did well opposite Anil Kapoor in the film Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai. In that film she was raped by Puru Raj Kumar and was given shelter by Anil Kapoor. After that her docile image balanced the strong performance of Anil Kapoor in the film. The film got huge box-office. Ash created spark in item numbers as well. The best example can be “kajra re kajra re” in the film Bunty Aur Babli. Gulzar wrote the lyrics which was sung by Alisha Chinoi. The music was composed by Shankar Ehsaan Loy. In fact the best dance performance of the film was related to the song which pulled the crowds. Aishwarya’s other hit films include Josh, Kuch Na Kaho, Sarkar Raaj, etc. 2008 was a great year for Ash. After success in the film Dhoom 2 opposite Hrithik Roshan, she amazed the viewers with her powerful performance in the film Jodha Akbar, again opposite Hrithik Roshan. If Dhoom 2 showed her westernized dimensions, Jodha Akbar proved her royal andaz. That was the best film of the year and of her career till now. Aishwarya Rai played a very notable role in the films Bride and Prejudice and other Hollywood films. Articles after articles can be devoted on Aishwarya Rai’s Hollywood performances. In 2010 the viewers appreciated her performance in the role Sita in Mani Ratnam’s film Ravan. Her film Action Replay opposite Akshay Kumar did not do great business. Viewers appreciated her performance in the film Guzarish where she had acted opposite superstar Hrithik Roshan and it was critically acclaimed film. She discontinued acting for 2 years after giving birth to a daughter. She did well in her comeback film Jazbaa which had been released in 2015. The viewers expect Ash to continue the great work that she had started 15 years back.

Looking back at Hasrat, Shankar Jaikishan, Rafisahab combination on death anniversary of Hasrat Jaipuri.

Remembering Hasrat Jaipuri, Shankar Jaikishan and Rafi on the death anniversary of Hasrat Jaipuri. 17th September is remembered as the death anniversary of eminent poet Hasrat Jaipuri. 15th April is celebrated as the birth anniversary of great poet and lyricist Hasrat Jaipuri. Renowned poet and lyricist Hasrat Jaipuri was born on 15th April, 1922 as Iqbal Hussain. In 1940, Hasrat Jaipuri came from Jaipur to Mumbai. Prithiviraj Kapoor heard him in a mushaira and recommended him to Raj Kapoor when he was making the film Barsaat. The epic combination of Hasrat Jaipuri and Shankar Jaikishan started from Barsaat. The first 2 songs written by him became super hit namely “jiya beqarar hai” and “chor gaye balam”. The pen of Hasrat Jaipuri glorified RK Films and other bollywood films for the next 30 years. Rafi, SJ and Hasrat Jaipuri was an equally brilliant combination like Shailendra, SJ and Rafi. Hasrat’s song sung by Rafi titled “teri teri pyari pyari surat ko” in Rajender Kumar’s film Sasural became super hit. In Shammi Kapoor’s Junglee almost all the songs sung by Rafi became immortal hits. In that list, Hasrat’s song “ehsaan tera hoga mujhpar” touched the souls of music lovers all across India. The song was sung by Rafi and Lata and both the versions were very melodious. Hasrat’s lyrics for Rafi “tum mujhe yu bhula na paoge” became super hit in the late 60s. It was composed by SJ for Shammi Kapoor in the film Pagla Kahin Ka. Hasrat’s song “ajahu na aye balma” in the film Saanjh Aur Sawera was a sensational song. Rafi exhibited his classical andaz and tune of Shankar Jaikishan was excellent by every musical yardstick. Hasrat Jaipuri received the filmfare award for the best lyricist for Rafi’s song “baharon phool barsao” in Rajender Kumar’s film Suraj. Rafi’s other songs written by Hasrat Jaipuri and composed by SJ included “unke khayal aye to” in Raj Kumar’s Lal Pathar, “badan pe sitare lapete hue” in Shammi Kapoor’s Prince, “awaaz deke hume tum bulayo” in Shammi Kapoor’s Professor, “aji ruuth kar ab” in Rajender Kumar’s Aarzoo, “dekha hai teri aankho me pyar hi pyar beshumar” in Dharmender’s Pyar Hi Pyar, “dhire dhire chal chand gagan me” in Dev Anand’s Love Marriage, “rukh se zara naqab uthalo” in Jeetender’s Mere Huzoor, “teri zulfon ne judai to nahi maangi thi” in Dev Anand’s Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai, “kaun hai jo sapno me aya” in Rajender Kumar’s Jhuk Gaya Aasman, etc. Hasrat Jaipuri contributed in Raj Kapoor’s blockbusters like Awaara, Shree 420, Jis Desh Me Ganga Behti Hai, Sangam, etc, Rajender Kumar’s blockbusters like Ayee Milan Ki Bela, Dil Ek Mandir, Humrahi, Sasural, Zindagi, etc, Shammi Kapoor’s hit films Janwar, Brahmchari, Raj Kumar, Andaz, etc., Joy Mukherjee’s Love In Tokyo, Biswajeet’s April Fool, Uttam Kumar’s Choti Si Mulakat, to name a few. Raj Kapoor’s greatest hit film in his illustrious career remained Sangam. In the film Hasrat Jaipuri’s words “yeh mera prempatra par kar” sung by Rafi and picturised on Rajender Kumar had remained immortal. Hasrat Jaipuri wrote it for a girl named Radha. Raj Kapoor kept the name of Vaijayatimala Radha in the film Sangam. Rafi’s voice at the end of the film brought tears in the minds of the audience with the words “kitum nazaar na hona” when Raj Kapoor and Vaijayantimala immersed the ashes of Rajender Kumar in Prayag Sangam at the end of the film. Hasrat Jaipuri died in 1999. One article is too small to highlight the works of the legends Hasrat Jaipuri, SJ and Rafi. In fact Hasrat Jaipuri worked with other composers of the golden age as well. But the songs written by Hasrat Jaipuri for Rafi which were composed by Shankar Jaikishan still stand out as the most romantic masterpieces in the history of bollywood cinema.